Flow’s media trainers walked away learning just as much from a group of young DREAMS ambassadors as they learnt from us on Sunday 11 September.
“Have passion, be patient, have love, be caring and show respect. And above all, don’t judge, because you never know what someone’s been through,” said Tsholofelo, a Grade 11 DREAMS ambassador who, three years ago, started a day-care facility for teen moms so that they can finish school.
Tsholofelo was one of about 45 women between the ages of 18 and 24 attending a media training session in Dinokeng, north of Pretoria, during which Flow’s team taught them how to deal with the media.
Their media skills were put to the test as our team of print journalists interviewed them. They also had to take part in a filmed panel discussion, conducted by our broadcast journalists, Thrishni Subramoney and 702’s Eyewitness News deputy news editor Camilla Bath.
The DREAMS programme, an initiative of the United States President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), is aimed at tackling the HIV infection statistic that adolescent girls and young women in South Africa between the ages of 15 and 24 are eight times more likely to contract the virus than boys in this age group.
One of the ways in which the DREAMS programme addresses this is through its DREAMS ambassador initiative, in which outspoken leaders in this age group and from places worst-affected by the virus have been identified to be influencers within their schools and communities.
The training was aimed at preparing these young ambassadors to speak at community events where they are likely to meet journalists.
Despite the pressure of being interviewed by professional journalists for the first time, the interviewees surprised us with their self-confidence, passion and “can-do” attitudes, despite the adversities most of them have had to face. Many of them grew up with a single parent or no parents at all, have lost loved ones to HIV/Aids or have been affected by violence.
That doesn’t mean, however, that they aren’t chasing their dreams and doing their bit within their communities. Most of the attendees are already involved in volunteer work and many want to become social workers, but there are also lawyers, geologists and restaurateurs in the making.
At times, Flow’s team struggled to fight back the tears.
“It was a humbling experience and I think I learnt as much from the young women who we worked with as they learnt from us. What was definitely apparent was the potential of such initiatives. Giving voice to such forthright, talented young women can certainly lead us to healthier, happier communities across South Africa,” said Thrishni.
Just like the rest of us, trainer Willem Steenkamp was in awe. “We all sensed that we were going to be working with an impressive group of young women, given that they are already leaders in their communities – but I don’t think any of us anticipated just how much they were going to blow us away. Smart, passionate and strong, they taught us a thing or two about how to live life, and how to turn adversity into opportunity. Wow!”
Said Cassidy Parker: “The first moment it happened – when one of these remarkable young women offered a glimpse into her life, and so articulately too – the awe I felt bolted my body to my chair. After that, these moments followed in quick succession: every time another young woman shared her journey and her solutions for a different world, I was gripped by admiration. This experience was a massive exercise in humility for me.”
Edwina van der Burg, Flow’s head of content and also a trainer, said: “I was touched and inspired by the passion and generosity of spirit that every one of the girls showed, regardless of the circumstances that brought them to this phase of their lives.”
The DREAMS ambassadors also seem to have loved the training, with feedback ranging from “It was absolutely excellent” and “They [Flow’s media trainers] are pretty legit people” to “I loved to be questioned and it was nice to appear on the television”.